Various types of product dispensers are known in the art, including mechanical and automated dispensers configured to dispense a product from a supply of product supported by the dispenser. For example, flowable material dispensers may be configured to allow a user to obtain a particular type of flowable material, such as a cleansing liquid, gel, or foam; a sanitizer liquid, gel, or foam; an antimicrobial liquid, gel, or foam; a liquid, gel, or foam lotion; a liquid, gel, or foam soap; or a liquid, gel, or foam detergent, from a supply of flowable material supported by the dispenser. The supply of flowable material may be provided in a container for storing the flowable material prior to dispensing from the dispenser. The container may be refilled upon depletion of the supply of flowable material, or the container may be replaced with a new prefilled container upon depletion of the supply of flowable material in the original container. Flowable material dispensers generally may be configured to dispense flowable material in a downward direction onto a user's hand or onto a substrate, such as a sheet product, held by the user's hand.
Automated flowable material dispensers generally may be configured to automatically dispense flowable material for a user upon user actuation of the dispenser or upon the dispenser sensing the presence of a user. Automated flowable material dispensers may include an automated dispensing mechanism configured to move a portion of the flowable material from the container to a dispensing nozzle during each dispense cycle. According to various configurations, the automated dispensing mechanism may include a motor, a drivetrain, a pump, a tube, and/or other components configured to move the flowable material from the container to the dispensing nozzle.
Although existing automated flowable material dispensers may be suitable for dispensing certain flowable materials in some applications, such dispensers may present one or more problems in other applications. First, the automated dispensing mechanism of certain dispensers may be relatively complex and may include numerous components for moving the flowable material from the container to the dispensing nozzle, and such components, particularly pumps, may be prone to wear, degradation, or failure over time. Second, the automated dispensing mechanism of certain dispensers may not be able to ensure that a relatively consistent amount of the flowable material is dispensed during each dispense cycle, which may negatively affect user experience as well as user perception of the dispenser. Third, the automated dispensing mechanism of certain dispensers may not be able to dispense the entire supply of flowable material from the container, which may result in waste of the remaining flowable material when the container is replaced with a new prefilled container. Fourth, the dispensing nozzle of certain dispensers may not adequately control the dispensing pattern of the flowable material, which may be frustrating for a user who desires to have the flowable material evenly applied to a substrate, such as a sheet product. Fifth, with certain dispensers, the process of refilling a depleted container with flowable material or replacing a depleted container with a new prefilled container may be cumbersome and time-consuming, and an improperly installed container may inhibit operation of the automated dispensing mechanism.
There is thus a desire for improved automated flowable material dispensers and related methods for dispensing flowable material therewith. Such dispensers may include an automated dispensing mechanism having a robust and relatively simple configuration that includes a limited number of components for moving the flowable material from a container to a dispensing nozzle. Additionally, the automated dispensing mechanism may ensure that a relatively consistent amount of the flowable material is dispensed during each dispense cycle and may be able to dispense the entire, or substantially the entire, supply of flowable material from the container. Such dispensers also may include a dispensing nozzle that controls the dispensing pattern of the flowable material such that the flowable material may be evenly applied to a substrate, such as a sheet product. Furthermore, such dispensers may allow a depleted container to be quickly and easily replaced with a new prefilled container and also may ensure that the container is properly installed to allow desired operation of the automated dispensing mechanism.